So, I made the mistake of purchasing a Queen “Sleep Innovations 12” SureTemp memory foam mattress" 2 months ago before I doscovered this site. It has 2.5" 3lb density memory foam over 9.5" HD foam core. I actually like the slow-response feel of the memory foam they use, even though I know it won’t last very long due to it’s low density. The problem I have with the mattress is that it’s too firm. The 2.5" of memory foam is too thin. I was originally going to add 2" of 5lb Sensus under the memory foam, but instead purchased a 2" 5.3lb memory foam topper from selectfoam. While it is wonderful foam, it is too soft and is fast-response. I tried it on top of the SureTemp foam for 2 weeks, and under the SureTemp foam for 2 weeks. My hips are sinking too far during the night and I awake with hip pain each morning.
During this time, I purchased a 3" Blended Talalay 24 ILD topper for a 7-year old King Royal Bedding Firm Spring mattress that my wife sleeps on. I have slept on it for a week as an experiment and wake up totally pain free every day.
I think latex is the way to go for my alignment now, but I already have the memory foam mattress.
My question is 'what can I try next to fix the memory foam mattress?" I know there are too many variables, but this has turned into a DIY project which I am enjoying, I would just like a little help with the next move.
I have learned my lesson going ‘cheap’. I don’t mind spending the money, I just want to get my PPP right and wake up pain free.
I am a male, 6’ 3", 170 lbs. I always go to sleep on my side, but sometimes awake in the morning on my stomach.
Here are some of the options I am leaning towards at this point to fix the queen mattress…
Add a 2" 5lb Sensus layer below the 2.5" 3lb SureTemp layer.
Add a 2" Dunlop Latex layer below the 2.5" 3lb SureTemp layer. What ILD would you recommend?
Add a 2" Talalay Latex layer below the 2.5" 3lb SureTemp layer. What ILD would you recommend?
Add a 1" or 1.8 " Talalay Latex layer above the 2.5" 3lb SureTemp layer. What ILD would you recommend?
Add a 2" layer of Sensus or Latex under the SureTemp foam and add a 1" layer of Talalay on top of the SureTemp? What ILD would you recommend on the 1" Talalay layer?
Am I correct in assuming that the 2.5" SureTemp layer should be the comfort layer at this point, due to it being a cheap 3lb memory foam that won’t last that long and only soften over time, or could it potentially be a middle layer?
You’re right that there are too many variables to know for certain but your feedback at least “points to” some probabilities.
The reason that your mattress feels too firm is that the memory foam layer is fairly thin you are probably feeling too much of the firmness of the support core “through” the lower density and probably softer memory foam.
The choice of materials is really a preference choice so I can’t make any suggestions about whether to use a memory foam or latex layer because you will know your own preferences better than I would but since your experience with a 2" 5 lb memory foam layer wasn’t good and your experience with a 3" 24 ILD latex layer was better it seems to “point to” latex as the material or “feel” that may work best for you.
Adding an additional memory foam layer on top of your mattress would have a more “memory foam like” and “in the mattress” slow response feel overall and adding a latex layer would be more of a mix between the slow response and low resilience of memory foam and the faster response and more lively “feel” of latex.
A “typical” latex ILD (at least with Talalay) that would be in the “soft” range and would “work” for many people as the top layer would be in the 19 - 24 ILD range.
If you were using it as a transition layer under the memory foam then I would probably go a little firmer and take a more progressive firmness approach in the range of 24 - 28 ILD.
Since your mattress already has some “soft stuff” on top I would probably go with 2" instead of 3" so that there is less risk for alignment issues … especially with your stomach sleeping.
It’s more common to use a fairly thin layer of memory foam over a more resilient material like latex but this is also a preference choice and my own preference is to use a fairly thin layer of latex on top of memory foam because I like a more resilient sleeping surface that has less motion restriction and this works well in combination with some of the slow response feel of memory foam underneath it. With memory foam on top the “feel” of the memory foam will be more dominant and with latex on top the “feel” of the latex will be more dominant.
Given all of this and your feedback and personal experience I would probably go with a 2" layer of 24 ILD Talalay because it’s somewhat “in the middle” between 19 ILD and 28 ILD so you would have the option of trying it either on top or underneath to see which way you prefer.
One additional advantage of using the latex on top is that it will add to the durability of the memory foam underneath it since it will absorb some of the compression forces and reduce the wear and tear and softening of the memory foam.
Of course your experience can be very different from someone else and you may have very different preferences so your own trial and error will be the only way to know with any certainty but if it was me I would be leaning in the direction of 2" of 24 ILD Talalay either over or under the memory foam (based on your preference) and then you could use your actual experience to decide on whether you “hit your target” or whether a different layer (thickness or firmness level) would work better for you.
I think I prefer adding the Latex on top of the memory foam. That is the feel I am looking for.
I would imagine the mattress should theoretically sleep cooler this way as well.
And as you said, it would extend the life of the 3lb memory foam.
I put the 3" 24 ILD layer on top of the memory foam last night as a test and it felt very nice,
but the 24 ILD latex does seem much firmer on top of the memory foam vs the spring mattress.
I know you already answered this in the previous post, and it is completely subjective,
I just want to make sure I completely understand:
Since I will be purchasing a 2" Latex topper for this mattress on top of the memory foam,
… I should be ‘OK’ if I go with 19 ILD instead of 24 for my weight (170 lbs)?
Or would I be safer going with a 21 - 22 ILD for a touch more softness?
Or is the difference between 19 and 24 ILD so small that I am just splitting hairs?
Differences of 2 or 3 ILD would be less than the natural ILD variation across the surface of a layer and probably wouldn’t be detectable for most people. A difference of 4 or 5 ILD would probably be a small difference that many people would notice but some that were less sensitive wouldn’t.
There would also be “some” difference between Talalay latex that was made by different manufacturers and there would also be “some” difference between different types of latex (blended vs 100% natural).
When you are looking at differences that small that are in the range of one increment softer or firmer I would trust your “best judgement” and whether you are leaning towards “a little softer” or “a little firmer” because there really isn’t any way to predict which one you would do best with in your “real life” experience until you try it.
I added a 2" 22ILD blended talalay layer on top of the memory foam and the hip pain is gone.
I tried the latex under the memory foam for 3 nights and the pain was still there.
I am guessing that the memory foam was so soft that my hips were sinking in too far.
I really like the “springy” feel of the latex on top of the slow recovery memory foam.
It’s “just right”.
A relatively thin layer of latex over memory foam can be an effective solution (and is my own preference compared to memory foam over the latex) because the latex provides a more resilient and less motion restrictive sleeping surface and a topper over memory foam will also reduce the amount of heat that reaches the memory foam which will slow down or reduce the amount it softens and compresses as well. It seems that the combination and “combined effect” works well for you … and thanks for sharing your feedback!
